


where only you remain

by ryvrr



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Fallout, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Previous Iwaizumi Hajime/Original Female Character, Sole Survivor!Iwaizumi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-15 15:31:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13034127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryvrr/pseuds/ryvrr
Summary: One moment, the world is whole. It's chaotic and war torn, but it's still there, it still exists. The next, you wake up two hundred years in the future and everything has been ripped out of your cold, cryogenically frozen fingers.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> i'm so excited for you all to see who oikawa is, but you won't meet him til next chapter. this is all backstory and buildup for when things get _real_.
> 
> thank you to anyone who is about to buckle up and join me for this ride. i already have quite a bit of this vaguely plotted out, and lots of ideas i want to use! this will closely follow the game events for, like, a chapter and a half, and then it will branch off. major plot points will be adapted, but otherwise it should be all new stuff with the haikyuu characters.
> 
>  **there will be side pairings!** the only ones i'm sure of at this moment are daisuga and ushiten. maybe kiyoyachi. maaaaaybe kuroken, or even bokuakakuroken, cause. fuck it. i will update you guys in the author's notes if there are any others someone might want to avoid.
> 
> anyway, i hope someone out there enjoys this dumpster fire and gets a kick out of me struggling to contain my feelings over sole survivor!iwaizumi and him slowly falling in love with oikawa. ; u ;

Iwaizumi Hajime had not wanted to answer the door.

This was the fifth time the salesman had appeared on his doorstep. He would have ignored the persistent knocking if his wife hadn’t been the one to yell his name down the hallway. “Will you answer the door?” she asked. He had been trying to finish up in the bathroom after she had traipsed out of it to check on their son. “I have my hands full with Shoichi.” 

“I’ve got it,” he called back to her. He did not want to answer the door. He knew it was the salesman, because this man had not given up for the past week and a half. Iwaizumi was not interested in buying space in some stupid, useless Vault. 

They had plans tonight, and that did not include avoiding the Vault-Tec rep who waited outside. “Good morning,” the man greeted brightly upon Iwaizumi opening the door. He had a fake, cheerful grin on his face as well. “Vault-Tec calling!” 

“Good morning,” Iwaizumi greeted. 

“I’ve been trying to get in contact with you for days now, sir,” the representative said. “It’s of the utmost importance! If you have a moment, we can go over some of the things I need to speak with you about.” 

Iwaizumi suppressed a sigh. “What sorts of things?” 

“Things, as you know, are quickly deteriorating out in the world! Why, the big boom seems to be an inevitability at this point. It gets closer and closer with every day.” The man sighed regretfully and shook his head. “I know you’re a very busy man, but I’m here to tell you today that, because of your family’s service to our great country, you have been pre-selected for the local vault!” 

The man paused here as if to weigh his reaction. Iwaizumi could hear Mitsuko behind him now. She had probably finished up with Shoichi and came to see what the salesman had to say. Iwaizumi crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “Pre-selected?” 

“I just have to verify some of your information, sir,” he replied quickly. “Just to make sure you’re cleared for entrance.” 

“Mmm,” he replied. 

The man did not seem to need much else other than quick answers at this point. He had questions to ask and barely paused with each one he shot his way. There were a few questions about Iwaizumi’s health and character, and then he moved on to other things without so much as taking a break for a breath. 

“Congratulations on your family’s secure future, sir,” the man told him as he began to back away once all of his questions were answered. “I will take your information directly to the Vault myself, so they will be ready for you!” 

Iwaizumi bowed before he shut the door. Mitsuko chuckled. “At least we know our future is secure,” she said as he turned around to face her. She had a gentle, sweet smile on her lips. 

Iwaizumi shrugged. “I suppose,” he said. He breathed in deep and loosened his shoulders. All those questions had been an annoyance, but it was over now. At least the man wouldn’t come back to hound them anymore. 

“Sir?” their robot said from the hallway. “It seems Shoichi is of need of your loving care!” 

“Right,” he said and waved Mitsuko off. “I have it.” He headed for his son’s room without another glance and smiled a little as he entered. Shoichi fussed in his crib, but otherwise he had not dissolved into a full blown tantrum yet. “Hey, little guy,” Iwaizumi said softly as he reached in and stroked the downy hair on his head. “It’s alright.” 

Shoichi quieted down and hiccuped, his eyes large in his face as he stared up at Iwaizumi, and he smiled. Shoichi had the same dark green eyes as his own, but his hair was a dark brown like Mitsuko’s. Their parents had been charmed when he had been born. A perfect blend of the two parents, they had said. Perhaps he will be as steadfast and loyal as Iwaizumi, and as bright and cheerful as Mitsuko. The perfect heir to carry on the Iwaizumi name. 

For a moment, Iwaizumi’s thoughts darkened. It was important, in this sort of bleak future, to carry on with life even in the darkest of times. A new baby to carry on with the next generation had been just the thing needed, but-- 

It was not that Iwaizumi did not love Mitsuko, or that she did not care deeply for him. Perhaps, though, they had rushed into things. They had only dated for a half a year before Iwaizumi had felt the need to propose marriage. The wedding had taken place very soon after that, and then there was Shoichi to prepare for. He was content, that was true, but he couldn’t help thinking something was… missing. 

For the life of him, he couldn’t put his finger on what that something was. 

There came a yell from the front of the house, their robot calling for them. “You might want to take a look at this,” it said loudly. 

Iwaizumi’s brows furrowed. It was very rare for it to react with any sort of pressing emotion. This seemed… worrisome. He glanced at Mitsuko. The look on her face said the same. 

The TV, which they had turned on earlier, had a gloomy newscaster on screen. “I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonation,” he said. 

His heart dropped, leaving a yawning ache in its place, stomach clenching painfully. It had happened, the thing they had all feared, the nightmares people had somehow not believed in, and yet. It had happened. 

“Hajime,” Mitsuko said fearfully. She had Shoichi in her arms, as if she had not been able to stand being apart in the face of their robot’s calling for them. It had been the right thing to do. 

“The Vault,” he said firmly. This, keeping a level head in the face of danger, was something he was good for. He was more than well-learned in war since he had come back from the front lines all those months ago. “We need to get to the Vault. Mitsuko, come on.” 

She nodded. Her lips were pressed together, enough that the blood had drained out of them and left them white, but her eyes were fierce. She clutched their son more tightly in her arms. “Let’s go,” she agreed, and they hurried for the door. There was no time, not have even a second to spare. They would have to leave everything else behind. 

It was good, then, that fate had him meet with that salesperson today. They would need that Vault space after all. 

“Hurry,” he said as they rushed outside. Reached a hand out, he clasped her elbow, kept her steady as they ran toward where the nearest Vault was located. She stumbled a bit, but he remained firm in his grip and she did not fall. There were others around them, yelling and panicked, but Iwaizumi spared no thoughts for them. He couldn’t, not when he had his own family to worry about. “This way, Mitsuko, almost there.” 

“Yes,” she panted. Shoichi was quiet in her arms. His eyes were solemn when Iwaizumi chanced a glance at his face, like he understood the impact the news had had, that the world was quickly deteriorating around him. 

Had it been a smart decision, to bring a child into this world? Had they done the right thing? 

Soon they were at the gates that seperated the Vault from the rest of the community. There were armed guards arguing with the salesman from before, but Iwaizumi ignored it. “Name?” one guard asked. 

“We’re on the list,” he replied. “Iwaizumi Hajime and family.” 

He stepped back and allowed Iwaizumi inside, Mitsuko and Shoichi hurrying after. They jogged the rest of the way to the entrance, where others were waiting, neighbors Iwaizumi had spoken to once or twice before. He clutched Mitsuko’s hand as they stood next to each other, and she looked at him with wide, fearful eyes. “I love you,” she said. 

Before he could respond, the blast hit and there were shouts, screams, the horrifying _heat_ rushing forward just as their platform began its descent with a sudden lurch. 

“Thank God,” Mitsuko murmured as she pressed a shaky kiss to Shoichi’s forehead. 

The staff gave instructions as they walked with the others, Iwaizumi unwilling to let go of Mitsuko’s free hand at first. There was a uniform to accept, and the doctor spoke cheerfully to them as they made their way through. He went on and on about the greatness of the Vault, what they had to look forward to, and many other things. Honestly, Iwaizumi tuned him out mostly. It was too much to take in. 

“Step inside here,” the doctor said as they reached the pod room, “and it will decontaminate you before we take you further into the Vault. Please change into your suit once you are in the pod.” 

Iwaizumi followed orders. It was something he was good at. It helped to steady him as he quickly changed and then pulled himself in. He leaned back and watched as the door closed. Mitsuko clambered into the pod across from him, and Iwaizumi closed his eyes, breathing deep to calm his nerves as the countdown began. 

It was… fuzzy, after that. 

There was a lot of time where Iwaizumi lost himself and the things going on around him. A white, peaceful feeling surrounded him. It was cold, but not biting enough to break him from his sleepy, sluggish thoughts. It felt like only minutes passed, or days, or months. He could not be sure. Things… bled together. 

“Manual override initiated,” a mechanical voice announced, bringing his slow, distant thoughts back to him a little. His eyes cracked open and he peered blearily out of the pod’s window. It was _so cold_ , there was even ice frosted over the glass. He blinked and squinted, fought to make out Mitsuko and Shoichi in the pod across from him. He could just barely see them, his eyes slowly adjusting to sight once more. 

“This is the one,” said a suited woman. She pointed at Mitsuko’s pod. 

“Open it,” said her companion. His voice was stern and cold. Iwaizumi did not like that voice, and his brain did not like where he thought this might be going. He had a bad feeling about this. In the war, he had always trusted that gut feeling. It never led him astray before. He was sure it wouldn’t this day either. 

“Is it over?” Mitsuko asked feebly as the pod opened. “Are we safe?” 

“Almost,” the man replied. “Things will be fine now.” 

“Come here,” the suited woman soothed as she reached out for Shoichi. “Right here, here we go, I can hold him.” 

“No,” Mitsuko replied as she attempted to keep Shoichi in her arms. She struggled and strained away from the woman’s clutching hands. “No, I’ve got him, no!” 

“Let the boy go,” the man said and raised a gun. Iwaizumi’s heart froze in his chest and fear sliced through his veins. The gun was pointed at Mitsuko. This man was _threatening_ his family. “I’m only going to tell you once.” 

Iwaizumi pounded his fist against the glass. Let him out! Let him out of here so he could-- 

“No!” Mitsuko screamed. “I’m not giving you Shoichi!” 

A gunshot rang out and the sound seared through Iwaizumi. Mitsuko slumped backward, her arms falling away from their son, her head lolling to the side. Iwaizumi struggled harder, his breath freezing in his lungs, his mind a jumbled mess. Perhaps he had not loved Mitsuko as deeply as he should, perhaps they had only married because of expectations placed upon them, but she had been his _wife_ , his companion, and she had been good to him. He had tried to be good to her. She could not be, she could _not_ be dead-- 

“Dammit,” the man swore. “Get the baby out. We have to go.” The woman walked away, but the man paused and turned his head, approached Iwaizumi’s pod. He peered in at him, and Iwaizumi _burned_. Vengeance. This must be what it feels like, to want to rip someone apart with his teeth, to want to tear them limb from limb. He had hurt Mitsuko, he had killed her, and he stood there staring in at Iwaizumi, unconcerned. “At least the spare is still here,” he said, and then he walked away. 

The ice settled over Iwaizumi again, and his thoughts slowed and evaporated. Time carried on. 

It seemed like no time at all before it came back to him again. The mechanical voice announced a critical failure, and his pod opened, swung away from him and released him from his prison. “All Vault residents must vacate immediately,” it told him. 

“Mitsuko!” he wheezed as he stumbled toward her. He fumbled with the controls, his fingers awkward and unsteady, as he got it to slowly open. “Come on,” he said and ducked in, leaned close, felt for a pulse in her neck. He knew. He already knew, but still… “I’ll find them,” he promised her. “I’ll get Shoichi, Mitsuko, I swear.” It’s what she would have wanted. Shoichi was their shared light. 

He stepped back. There was much to be done. Casting a glance about the room, the Vault looked… decrepit, as though many years had passed. There was ice over each occupant of the other pods, and that told Iwaizumi a story even without words. Something had happened here. They had been left in this Vault without any oversight. 

He headed the only way he could, and fought his way out. There were… roaches. Giant ones. He had nothing to use as a weapon except his fists, and they would have to do until he was able to find something to use, something like-- Iwaizumi spotted it quickly. He picked up a baton and shrugged it off. He’d make it work. 

There was a terminal he fumbled through, but it didn’t have anything of real interest. Some logs about what had happened here, but nothing more. He continued on. 

The Vault was abandoned, that much was clear. Unfortunately he found no other living occupants. It appeared as if he had been the last one. 

It wasn’t hard to fight his way through the roaches and reach the Overseer’s office. There was a skeleton along the way, and that too told a story. It was not one that Iwaizumi took with any sort of comfort. It didn’t tell a good tale. “Is this all that’s left?” he asked himself. Some bones and Iwaizumi were all to be found in this Vault? 

He shuffled around and looked for items that could be useful. A gun, some bullets, some health items. He picked those up and calmly loaded the pistol. It would come in handy, more than the baton he supposed. The door that led to the platform outside was locked. The terminal solved that problem quickly, and the door unlocked without another issue. 

The other logs were not of too much interest to Iwaizumi, but he read them all the same before he moved on. It was good to know as much information as possible. He had no other way to know what awaited him outside of the Vault. 

More roaches creeped in the tunnel outside of the office, and Iwaizumi dispatched them quickly. They barely took any effort; they were weak and went down after one shot each. 

There were yet more skeletons in the room with the platform. Iwaizumi barely spared them a glance. He picked up the tech near the controls that would activate the lift, and studied the mechanism that would turn it on. Clearly he needed to use the Pip-Boy. He plucked it from the ground tentatively, put it on his wrist, and latched it in place. There was a thick layer of grime over the screen, but he smeared it away easily enough. 

It still worked, so he would take his blessings where he could. He plugged it into the mechanism and slammed his hand on the button, listening as the lift came to life. The machinery whirred around him and Iwaizumi felt a trickle of unease. His eyes turned to the platform, and then looked behind him, from where he had come. 

Mitsuko’s body remained. So did those of his neighbors and the other Vault-Tec staff who had perished and decayed here. Their skeletons were all that were left behind. It had to have been a long time, for the flesh to have disappeared. Years, _decades_ even. 

That did not sit comfortably in the pit of his stomach. 

There was nothing for it. He would have to continue on. Shoichi was out there, somewhere, and he had been taken from them. Iwaizumi would find him if it was the last thing he’d ever do. 

He took one step, and then another, toward the bright light as the Vault opened. Goosebumps raised on his flesh and he shivered, but he pushed the feelings aside. He did not have the time right now to process all that had happened, all that he had lost. He just didn’t have the time. 

With a more confident stride than he felt, he stepped aboard the platform and waited as it took him up into the outside world once again. 

\---

The next few days were a blur of activity and stress.

He met up with his robot again-- Codsworth, the weird American name Mitsuko had chosen because they had bought it from outside of Japan-- and it explained that two _hundred_ years had passed. They searched for Shoichi, but there were no clues they could find in the neighborhood. That meant that Iwaizumi had to go further from home, out into the unknown wasteland that surrounded them now. 

He found a dog on his way into the city, and it followed along as he walked further down the road, gun in hand and determined frown on his face. Iwaizumi did not have the heart to make the dog go away. “Atsuto,” he told the dog. It needed a name. It couldn’t wander around with Iwaizumi without one, he reasoned. He would only get so far with calling it _dog_. 

The world had changed. Animals and things that had once been small or docile were now large and hostile. He fought many flies and roaches as he traversed the now dangerous lands. Atsuto was a good companion, fighting alongside Iwaizumi the whole way. He must be used to this life by now, more than Iwaizumi was at any rate. He was quick to strike and he held things down if it was big enough, kept it from breaking free long enough for Iwaizumi to take their enemies down. 

He found survivors who begged for his assistance. It spoke to him from his time in the military, helping people, and so he agreed. Making allies in this strange, lonely world was for the best. He had no idea where his son might be, and the more people he had on good terms, the better. The raiders were stressful, but he took them down easily enough. What they called the Deathclaw, on the other hand? Not… not so much. But it fell eventually, and that was that. Iwaizumi would try his hardest not to fight one again, if he could help it. 

The man leading the survivors was friendly and brisk. Daichi, he said his name was, and he explained they were in need of a sanctuary. Iwaizumi told them about where his own home had been, and then agreed to help them get there. 

It was a slow walk. There were injured, and they couldn’t walk as fast as Iwaizumi could. They also looked malnourished. One of them gabbed his ear off the entire walk. Hinata, he said his name was, and he asked a million questions and didn’t seem to pause once to hear any of the answers. 

“Shut up, stupid,” another man said tersely. His name was Kageyama, Iwaizumi remembered. He had a scowl on his face and a fierce glare in his eyes. “You talk too much. Pay attention to the surroundings.” 

There was silence after that, and then they were back in the newly dubbed Sanctuary. Daichi asked for his help in setting things up and directed him towards Asahi for further instructions. Asahi was handy with tools and they worked together to get things up and running. Iwaizumi scoured the lands around them and brought back plants they could rebury, metal and materials to dig up a watering hole. Asahi assisted with the whole thing, and Iwaizumi found the work pleasant, because it kept him busy and his mind elsewhere. 

Daichi asked a man called Suga to take over the gardening. The quiet, polite Suga accepted and walked past Iwaizumi without a word. He had talked to him briefly when Iwaizumi had saved them, but otherwise he seemed to prefer not to speak at all. 

The others were quick to lend their hands and work around the settlement. After a day or so, things seemed to have calmed down and gotten into a rhythm. They wouldn’t need Iwaizumi again for awhile, so his search for Shoichi resumed. Daichi asked him to assist in the efforts of the Minutemen-- named after some historical group, Daichi told him-- and Iwaizumi agreed, if he had the time and was around. Daichi seemed content with that. It was enough. 

Life continued on. Atsuto was at his side through it all. He scoured the lands and went further out each day, more daring, less worried about safety and survival. He would find a way, he reasoned with himself. He did not need to stay around Sanctuary. He didn’t want to put down roots until Shuichi was back with him again. 

No hints or direction came to him. He finally gave in and went to help with Minutemen requests. He had nothing else he could do, and it didn’t help him to sit around idly. He found that he adapted rather well to this world, this wasteland. He knew how to scavenge and pick apart things for their useful parts. He’d had to do it in the past, after all. The military liked to teach all around soldiers who could live on their own and figure out ways to survive. 

The first big mission was to take out an entire band of raiders. It was hard work. Iwaizumi thought, for a moment in the middle of it, that he might actually die before he found his son. There were a lot of firepower and men to take down, but one by one, Iwaizumi managed to do it. Atsuto was a big help. He incapacitated enemies frequently, and for long enough stretches that Iwaizumi could quickly pick them off. He found that he was grateful that the dog had wandered into his life, as if it had been meant to be. 

Finally, when the last raider had fallen, Iwaizumi breathed a sigh of relief. There was talk of a Diamond City. Iwaizumi wondered if it had to do with that large baseball field that had been built a few years before Mitsuko and he had moved to the area. It had been flashy and new when they had settled down, but they hadn’t had the time to check it out back then. He wished they had. He wished they had more time to settle into their lives together, their futures, to learn more about each other. Iwaizumi felt like he hardly knew her now that she was gone. 

The days were long and tiring, but the work and the missions kept him busy and satisfied. He still wondered where his son was, but he had the surety that he would find him. One way or another, Iwaizumi would locate Shoichi and bring him home. There was no home for him, but… Iwaizumi figured home was wherever they were together. It was sappy, but true. 

Each day made the pain of this new life easier to handle. Iwaizumi developed coping mechanisms. He thought of Mitsuko less and more of Shoichi. Mitsuko had passed on, but Shoichi was still out there, somewhere. Iwaizumi couldn’t do anything for his deceased wife, but he could still help his son. 

Daichi opened up to him the next time Iwaizumi rolled through Sanctuary. “I think you can rebuild the Minutemen,” he said. Iwaizumi started to shake his head and refuse, but Daichi hurried on. “You saved us,” he said. “You were selfless and you rushed headlong in to assist us. I feel-- no, I know you could do it, Iwaizumi.” 

He didn’t want to accept. He wanted to be left to his own devices, to save his son and then get back to-- get back to what? His previous life? It was gone, nuked along with the rest of that world he had come from. This was his life now, this wasteland around him, and he didn’t have much in it right now. “Alright,” Iwaizumi agreed finally, wearily. “I’ll do it.” 

It would mean more connections, more people to potentially feed him information about Shoichi. He would do anything for that sort of clue, even head an organization he didn’t have much of a care for. Daichi was pleased. The smile lit up his eyes for once and he clapped Iwaizumi on the shoulder. “You won’t regret it, Iwaizumi,” he told him gratefully. “I’ll make sure you won’t.” 

The days bled together again. He didn’t have many leads coming to him, but a lot of missions for the Minutemen he now led. He lost track of how long it had been since he left the Vault. Two months, at least, possibly three. There was a lot to do in this wasteland. Chaos ran rampant, which meant that a lot of people needed saving, needed help. Iwaizumi didn’t much mind giving it. It meant that he had a purpose and that he was striving towards _something_. 

When he least expected it, a breakthrough came from Suga, surprising enough. “You should try Diamond City,” he said softly one evening. Iwaizumi had come back to Sanctuary and spent most of the afternoon helping to weed and take care of the garden. It had expanded behind the main house and Iwaizumi had torn down some fences so they could plant even more food in the morning. “I feel like you might get a lead there.” 

Iwaizumi glanced up at him. “A lead?” 

“About your son,” he said gently. “I heard-- Daichi told me. I’d overheard him talk to you about it one night, and I-- I’m sorry. I was curious.” This was the most Suga had ever said before. Iwaizumi was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps it meant that Suga was warming up to him. 

“It’s fine,” Iwaizumi told him and waved it off. “I’m not keeping Shoichi a secret. You’re allowed to know about it. Thank you. I’ll try to find this Diamond City.” 

Suga pointed off into the distance. “It’s that way,” he said. “Sorry that’s not as helpful as it could be, but… I’ve never been. Just know vaguely where it is.” 

Iwaizumi nodded. “It’s a start,” he assured him. Suga smiled at him, weakly, but it reached his eyes. They warmed into an endearing brown, and for the first time in what felt like years, Iwaizumi smiled back.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You!” he cried out in joy as he pointed wildly at Iwaizumi. “You know, it’s rude to keep a cute guy waiting, Iwaizumi! I invited you here _ages_ ago, and you only just now show up?”
> 
> “I had things to do,” Iwaizumi replied dryly. “A life. You should try it out, sometime.” 
> 
> Oikawa scoffed, then waved his hand as if to shoo away such trivial things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've decided _updates will be every two weeks_! i had this chapter done last weekend, but i wanted to try and wait to post it until i started work on chapter three. guess what! i got super sick, and so that didn't happen!!! awesome!!
> 
> so **chapter three should be posted on january 13th**. please look forward to it. 
> 
> feel free to follow me on tumblr (ryvrr) for more hilarious iwaoi content. sometimes i even post other haikyuu!! ships. and by sometimes i mean _all the time_ , because i'm in haikyuu hell.

Diamond City was not a difficult settlement to find, not when you put your mind to it. Iwaizumi had not fully decided to follow the lead until the afternoon of the next day. He’d allowed it to simmer in the back of his thoughts while he assisted in expanding the garden with Suga and Daichi. Suga did not bring it up again, but he glanced periodically at Iwaizumi as if to ask _what are you still doing here?_

Finally, after another night had passed, Iwaizumi made his decision. He would go to Diamond City. It was the only lead he had at the moment, even if it wasn’t one about Shoichi at all. It still might lead him in the right direction all the same. He could leave no stone unturned. 

He packed up his things again and exited his old house with Minako. Codsworth offered to tag along-- as he did every time Iwaizumi swung through and left-- but he declined. Atsuto was enough of a companion. Iwaizumi didn’t think he had enough mental fortitude to keep up conversation with the robot. He was still tired, even after months had passed since he’d been chewed up and spat out into this decimated land. 

“I’ll see you when I come back through,” Iwaizumi told Codsworth. The robot had no facial expressions, but his voice hinted at displeasure when he replied in the affirmative. Iwaizumi shrugged that off and swung his bag onto his shoulders. “Come on, boy,” he called to the dog, and they departed. 

There was a lot of wandering for the first few days. The radio and Atsuto were his only constant companions, the dog barking periodically to mark interesting things on their path. On one memorable occasion, Atsuto trotted back to him with a rocket launcher clenched between his teeth. 

“Holy shit,” Iwaizumi cursed as he shot forward to rescue it. “How the hell did you even-- no, nevermind. I don’t want to know. Thanks, boy.” 

A travelling trade was the one who finally got him going in the right direction. “It’s thatta way,” the man said gruffly as Iwaizumi handed over bottle caps for more ammunition. “Can’t miss it. Too fuckin’ huge. There’s a lot of Super Mutants surrounding it, though, so be careful.” 

Iwaizumi thanked him, before he left. Super Mutants, another thing he hadn’t known the existence of and would probably find out about the hard way. Hopefully they weren’t as tough as Deathclaws. 

His first impression of Diamond City was colored by the man yelling outside of the closed gate. “Open the gate, Reon!” he complained into the speaker nearby. “This isn’t funny! I have to get back in there, you know. I _live_ there!” 

“They said not to let you back in, Oikawa,” replied who Iwaizumi assumed to be Reon. He sounded sheepish and frazzled. “The Mayor, you know, he wasn’t too happy with you for writing that article. Anyway, I can’t do it! I have orders, and it’s my job and all.” 

“Your job!?” Oikawa screeched. Iwaizumi glanced around warily as he approached. There was no one around to threaten them, but it was probably not a good idea for this Oikawa to be so loud. Iwaizumi had only been in this apocalyptic landscape for a handful of months, but noises could draw the ire of the environment faster than anything else. “You have to keep me out because of one measly article!? Reon, let me back in, this is my _home_!” 

“It wasn’t measly, Oikawa,” Reon sighed. “The mayor said your article was all lies and we shouldn’t let you back in. You’re a danger to the city.” 

“A d-danger--” Oikawa sputtered off, and wide eyes finally landed on Iwaizumi. There was a pause as he seemed to acknowledge his presence and mull it over, then he snapped his fingers as if a thought had just occurred to him. “Oh!” he whispered. “You want into the city, right? Ah! O-one second, just… play along.” He winked and placed one finger over his lips, his tongue stuck out playfully. 

Iwaizumi had no way to respond. Most of the people he had met out here were tense and solemn, but Oikawa seemed… different. Iwaizumi wasn’t sure how to explain it, not even to himself. Atsuto sat down next to them and wagged his tail excitedly. 

“Wooow!” Oikawa gasped loudly as his hands flew up to cover his mouth. “A trader from up north!? Gee, you have so much stuff to sell here, huh? That’s a lot of supplies!” Oikawa screwed up his face as if in consternation. “Man, it’d be too bad if they didn’t let you in, huh? That’s enough to stock us for a whole month!” Oikawa held up a hand when Iwaizumi opened his mouth as if to respond. “Reon, you gonna let us in or what? Or else _you’re_ the one who has to explain to Aone why we passed up all these supplies!” 

A heavy sigh hung in the air for a moment before Reon spoke. “Fine,” he said. “Just-- yeah, fine, give me a second and I’ll open it, Oikawa. Geez.” 

The gate opened and Oikawa turned back to Iwaizumi with a bright smile. “Thanks for your help,” he said. “That was a tough situation. Glad you showed up.” 

“Happy to help,” Iwaizumi said with a deadpan expression. Oikawa squinted at him and then laughed. Iwaizumi blinked owlishly as Oikawa grinned at him. 

“Yeah,” he replied. “You look like a real helpful guy.” He tipped his head toward where the gate now stood open. “Come on! Diamond City awaits.” Iwaizumi followed him in. There was a man already there, expression thunderous. 

“Who let you back in!?” His glare was all for Oikawa. Iwaizumi stood slightly behind the taller man, his face grim and brows drawn together. He had no idea what had happened, besides a mentioned article and the mayor being angry. Kicking someone out of their home without a word seemed a bit… much, but what did Iwaizumi know? “Don’t you think you’ve caused enough harm, Oikawa?” 

“Mmmm,” Oikawa said and tapped his lower lip, looked up at the ceiling as if to search for the answer. “Nope! Not just yet. There’s still _plenty_ more to be done, I think.” 

“Next, I’m going to scrap your entire newspaper, break your damn printing press,” the man yelled. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth!” 

Oikawa whirled to Iwaizumi, who startled backward a step at the look on his face. “What do you think about this, newcomer? The great Mayor of Diamond City, threatening our freedoms and liberties!” 

“I… have no idea what either of you are talking about,” he admitted. “Though I don’t think it’s fair to just kick someone out of their home.” 

Oikawa turned back to the mayor. “See? Not fair!” 

“What’s not fair is you _stirring up trouble_ every two seconds,” the mayor replied tersely. “Your damn newspaper is a waste--” 

Oikawa scoffed. “Do you think it’s a waste?” he asked Iwaizumi brightly. “The truth has to be spread somehow, you know. Oh, but you don’t look like much of a reader. Maybe you’ve never even seen my newspaper! Maybe you don’t even know how to _read_.” Iwaizumi saw Oikawa’s lips twist into a smirk as he winked his way. 

“I know how to read,” Iwaizumi stated, “but no, I’ve never read your paper.” 

“You’re really missin’ out,” Oikawa told him simply without an inkling of humbleness. “But don’t you think the press is important?” 

Iwaizumi frowned as he mulled it over a moment, but there wasn’t much to think about. “I support it,” he agreed. No reason to lie. It was good to have all sides of an argument. 

“Sorry Oikawa dragged you into this,” the mayor simpered. “You seem like just the sort of person we need here in Diamond City. What brought you here?” 

“My son,” Iwaizumi said. “He’s missing, and I’m searching for him.” 

The mayor’s face settled into a carefully blank mask. Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed, but… that wasn’t cause for concern, was it? “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help,” he told Iwaizumi, “but I’m sure there are other citizens in Diamond City who might be able to. Feel free to ask one of them. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He paused and glared Oikawa’s way. “The next time you step out of line, Oikawa, you and that nephew of yours are _out_ of Diamond City,” and then he was gone. 

Oikawa heaved a heavy, dramatic sigh. “Well, that could have gone better, but it could have gone worse!” he said cheerfully. He whirled around to face Iwaizumi again. “I’m Oikawa Tooru.” 

“Iwaizumi Hajime,” Iwaizumi replied. 

“You should check in with the detective here in town,” Oikawa told him. “You helped me get back in, so why not give you a little push, huh? His name is Akaashi Keiji. He’s really good at finding things, and I’m sure he’d lend a hand if you asked him. Or paid, more like. You have caps, right?” Oikawa’s eyes shot up and down Iwaizumi. 

“I’ve got caps,” Iwaizumi said tersely. 

Oikawa nodded. “After that!” He paused and tapped his lower lip, his tongue poking out. “Come see me? I have an office near the entrance of Diamond City, and I’d love to talk to you some more. You seem _real_ interesting, Iwaizumi.” He threw a quick wink over his shoulder. “I think you’d make a real interesting interview! Think about it!” Then he was gone too, trotting off further into the depths of Diamond City. 

“Like hell I will,” Iwaizumi grumbled. 

\---

It took awhile for Iwaizumi to find Akaashi Keiji’s detective agency. By the time he did, the sun had already set ages ago and it was closed. He shrugged it off. He could go back tomorrow. For now, he turned around and decided to search around for a place to spend the night. He was sure they would have somewhere he could pay some caps and get a room, or at least a section of relatively clean floor to curl up on. It would be much better than camping out on his own with only Atsuto as a guard.

Speaking of, his dog barked excitedly and wagged his tail whenever someone even so much as glanced their way. There were a lot of people here, more than at Sanctuary, and the dog seemed excited for pets. People chose mostly to ignore him, but some looked longingly as if they wanted to approach but were worried they’d get reprimanded for it. 

He eventually did find somewhere to bed down for the night. It was a little more expensive than he wanted to pay, but… well, it was better than going outside of Diamond City and finding someplace. He had been warned about Super Mutants. He had a feeling he did _not_ want to meet one in the dark of the night while half awake. 

“Never seen you around here before,” the barkeep told him conversationally as he paid. Iwaizumi looked at him politely and raised a brow. “We mostly get regulars. You know, merchants and stuff coming into town and needing a room.” 

“Guess I’m not one of those,” Iwaizumi replied. He definitely did not look like one. “An adventurer, more like.” 

“An adventurer?” The man hummed to himself in thought. “That sounds way more interesting than some asshole who just wanders the wastes.” 

Iwaizumi shrugged. “That fits me too, I guess,” he replied. 

“I’m Matsukawa,” the barkeep introduced. Iwaizumi had not asked. He wondered if he just had one of those faces, ones that endeared him to people. There were a lot of them who approached and told Iwaizumi their whole life story, it seemed, before he could have ever even thought to ask for it. 

“Iwaizumi,” he said, because he was sure Matsukawa probably expected an answer. 

“Have you ever been to Diamond City before?” Matsukawa polished a glass that was probably a lost cause, it was so old and grimy, but Iwaizumi did not have the heart to let him know that. “You could have been here before, I guess, and never needed a place to stay. Shouldn’t have assumed.” 

“No, you’re right,” Iwaizumi said. “I’ve never been here before. I came here looking for leads on a missing person.” 

“Ah, so you’re looking for Akaashi,” Matsukawa replied with a short nod. “We get a lot of people who ask about him, now.” 

“He’s a detective, right? I suppose he’d get a lot of work here in the wastes. People go missing.” 

“Mm,” Matsukawa agreed. “Especially with all the Super Mutants around, and the raiders. People get kidnapped or killed whenever they leave the city for even a short errand.” 

Atsuto whined. Iwaizumi looked down at him to see him peering up with plaintitive eyes. “Oh,” he mumbled, “I guess I should feed and water him. Thanks for the hospitality.” Matsukawa waved him off, and Iwaizumi figured that meant their conversation was over. He nodded his head before he picked up his pack, slid off the barstool, and headed to find the room he’d been given for the night. 

The next day found him in the agency at a loss. “What do you mean he’s missing?” Iwaizumi asked. “A detective who searches for missing people _goes missing himself_?” 

Akaashi’s secretary looked nonplussed. “I don’t know,” she admitted. Her fingers came up to tuck a dark strand of hair behind her ear. “Do you want to find him enough? Maybe you can find him.” 

This was his life now. If he wanted to take one step forward, he had to take two back and reroute completely. It was always avoiding obstacles and going roundabout ways to get to where he needed to be. Nothing was ever simple in Iwaizumi Hajime’s life. “I guess I’ll do that,” he sighed. “Do you have any idea where he last was? Was he looking for someone?” 

The woman tilted her head as she thought about it, her eyes turned heavenward. “There was a girl who was kidnapped,” she said slowly. “He said he would go check where the gang was that he thought she had been taken by. That’s a few blocks outside of Diamond City. I’m sure you can find it.” Not much to go on, but Iwaizumi supposed it was more than if she had just set him loose without anything. 

It had been a bitch to get in and find the detective, though. There were way more mobsters than he had thought there would be, but nowhere near as many as when he’d taken out that old raider group for the Minutemen. It was a hassle, but not impossible. By the time he found Akaashi, Iwaizumi realized that his assistant had left out one key fact. 

“You’re not… human,” Iwaizumi stated bluntly. He had never seen someone like Akaashi before. His eyes were too bright of a green to be real, almost glowing, and while his skin looked like it was supposed to mimic human, there were some tears and holes in it that showed wiring underneath. 

“Astute observation,” Akaashi told him dryly. Iwaizumi felt a little bad for a moment. He probably got that reaction a lot. “Thank you for coming to my aid.” 

“No problem,” Iwaizumi mumbled. He rubbed the back of his neck and ignored the flush that creeped up into his face. Tan skin or not, he always tended to get red rather easily. He hated it. “I guess we should get out of here before reinforcements come.” 

“You are filled with sharp ideas,” Akaashi said, but there was a hint of amusement in the words, so Iwaizumi did not feel insulted. They headed out of the room, Akaashi bringing up the rear with Atsuto in the lead. The dog was rather sharp, himself. He always seemed to know when quiet was needed and never barked during tense moments. 

“What happened anyway?” Iwaizumi asked after they took out the first slew of mobsters. Akaashi scoffed in disgust, but did not answer right away. Iwaizumi didn’t press. He figured the… robot? No, he had heard the word while in Diamond City. He was sure Akaashi was a synth, one of those creations that replaced humans, but he seemed less like one stealthily made and more like one that was _supposed_ to be known as a robot. Was he a robot? Or was that an insult? Iwaizumi felt at a loss. He had no idea what was okay to say and what wasn’t. He made a mental note to ask Suga. He seemed like someone who would calmly explain these sorts of things to him. 

“I was ambushed,” Akaashi said when Iwaizumi and he were over halfway out of the vault. “I had thought the girl had been kidnapped, but I had been… mistaken. She had left of her own volition. She’s in a relationship with the boss of the gang, Tanaka Ryunosuke.” 

“Ah,” Iwaizumi said as the picture became clear. “Not the… best person to run off with.” 

“Tanaka isn’t as bad as that,” Akaashi admitted, but it sounded like it took a lot out of him to say the words. “It’s the reason I have never cared one way or another about his gang running around out here. For the most part, they don’t do anything bad and they stay out of the way of people who don’t deserve the hassle. When this happened… I had thought, perhaps, Tanaka had gone rogue and thrown his skewed, odd morals out the window. However, I was mistaken. Tanaka felt it an insult when I tried to take back his… girlfriend by force, and so I was locked up to _stew over my actions_.” Iwaizumi had a feeling those were Tanaka’s words. “I have a feeling Tanaka will not appreciate us decimating half of his gang, however.” 

“I guess I’ll tell him sorry and hope he accepts the apology,” Iwaizumi sighed. The men had probably come out guns ablazing because they had no idea who Iwaizumi was, or why he had broken into their Vault. He actually sort of felt bad now. Perhaps the men had not been so bad. He didn’t think he killed most of them, only incapacitated. He had been intent on rescuing Akaashi, not creating a bloodbath. Perhaps that would work in their favor. 

“From here on out, we will simply try to knock them out,” Akaashi replied. “I noted the few bodies we passed that you took care of while searching for me, quite a few of them were not dead. I suppose Tanaka will not be quite as cross as if you’d have killed them.” 

“That’s what I’m hoping,” Iwaizumi admitted. 

Tanaka had been annoyed, but not full blown angry. They ran into him when they were almost out of the Vault. “You know,” he said conversationally with a shake of his head, “you really fucked up my security.” 

“I apologize,” Iwaizumi said neutrally. “I had only meant to find Akaashi and bring him back to Diamond City.” 

Tanaka held a finger out and wagged it in his direction. “Rude,” he said, but a moment later he shrugged it off. “Oh, whatever, are you cooled down now, Akaashi?” His eyes shifted to the synth next to Iwaizumi. “You look like you’ve calmed down.” 

“I was never angry,” Akaashi replied shortly. “You presumed.” 

Tanaka laughed. “Of course I did! You had that look you get, the one where you’re annoyed!” He turned toward the girl who stood next to him. “Didn’t he, babe? He had it. I know he did and I didn’t imagine it!” 

“He did,” she replied with a quick nod. Her lips were tilted into a genuine smile. 

“I had been mistaken in my belief that Amanai had been taken against her will--” 

“Tanaka would never--” 

“Why, I oughta-- !” Tanaka started to yell. 

“Perhaps you did not hear the first part, but I was _mistaken_ ,” Akaashi repeated loudly over their shouts. “I apologize.” 

“Oh,” Amanai murmured. “Well, that’s fine then!” Her smile was friendly as she patted Tanaka gently on the arm. “It was just a misunderstanding, Ryunosuke.” 

“Tch,” he muttered, but then seemed to physically shrug the weight of the accusation off his shoulders. “Well, I’ll give you a headstart!” His voice brightened into a chipper grin and he jerked his thumb behind him. “You got ten seconds to run outta here before we hunt you down! I woulda given you only five, but since Akaashi is an old friend…” 

“Good evening,” Iwaizumi said and then headed in a brisk jog for the Vault doors, Akaashi right behind him. There were no more hiccups the entire way back to Diamond City. They evaded some raiders holed up in an old store, and Akaashi managed to keep up with the quick clip Iwaizumi held all the way back. Tanaka didn’t try to hunt them down even after the ten seconds were up, and Iwaizumi had a hunch he had only said that for a reason not to fight them. “He wasn’t all that bad,” Iwaizumi muttered aside to Akaashi as they approached the city gates. 

“Typically he’s not,” Akaashi agreed. “He keeps to himself, and only fights other nasty things, like raiders and super mutants.” 

“Akaashi!” Reon greeted them as they entered. “We thought you were gone for good this time. It’s been days. Kiyoko’s been worried about having to close up shop on you if you never returned.” 

“Thank you,” Akaashi greeted politely. “I will let her know immediately that I’ve returned.” He kept walking and Iwaizumi followed along behind, nodded his head at Reon when he waved a little in greeting. 

They didn’t speak again until they reached Akaashi’s agency. His assistant-- the newly dubbed Kiyoko-- looked relieved as he entered. “I was worried the worst had happened,” she murmured and her smile was soft, but there. Her eyes went to Iwaizumi and she nodded her thanks to him. “I suppose it’s you we have to thank for finding him.” 

Akaashi went to his seat and settled into it, turning to consider Iwaizumi. “Yes,” he answered Kiyoko. “I don’t believe we ever properly introduced ourselves. I imagine you are aware I am Akaashi Keiji, the detective for this agency?” Iwaizumi nodded. “May I inquire as to my rescuer’s name?” 

“Iwaizumi Hajime,” he answered politely. 

“You are seeking someone? That would be the reason you sought me out.” 

“My son,” Iwaizumi said. “He was taken from me.” 

“Ah,” Akaashi sighed. He nodded his head sharply. “It would perhaps be best if you started from the beginning.” He motioned to a seat across from him, the one Kiyoko had abandoned to go work on paperwork in the backroom. “If you don’t mind?” 

Iwaizumi seated himself and did just that. 

Awhile later, once the whole story had been laid out and Akaashi was now caught up to the present, he nodded his head. “I see,” he hummed. One hand came up so that his chin could rest on it as he stared off into the distance in deep thought. “I believe I could help you. I will need several days, if you are amenable? I will send word for you. Is there somewhere you are presently staying?” 

“That bar with the spare rooms,” Iwaizumi replied, “and when I’m not there, I’m in a settlement called Sanctuary. I’ll try to stick around Diamond City for now, though, so it’s easier to find me. I’m sure I can find some work to do to keep me busy.” 

Akaashi nodded. “You do seem rather handy to have around,” he agreed. “There are plenty around who might have need of services such as yours. Very well. I will begin a preemptive search and get back to you.” 

And with that, Iwaizumi was dismissed. 

\---

He originally had no intention of finding Oikawa again.

Iwaizumi managed to keep himself busy for the first two days. Akaashi had been right. There were plenty of people about Diamond City who needed random things done for them and would pay him in gear and bottlecaps to do it. He cleared out a couple raider hotspots, found a few missing items left outside of the city limits, and even helped to escort a trader who needed to go to another nearby settlement. 

So he was busy enough, really, that he should not have even had a spare moment to think of brown eyes and a sly smirk. He should not have thought about Oikawa, who had been merely a blip on his radar when he’d arrived in Diamond City, and yet-- 

_And yet--_

It was no secret where the newspaper Oikawa ran was. There was a young boy just outside of it, hawking the paper and attempting to drum up more sales. He looked at Iwaizumi with narrowed eyes as he approached. “You’re that guy Tooru talked about the other day,” he said. “I thought he lied, ya know, about you comin’ by!” 

Iwaizumi did not know how to handle Oikawa having mentioned him. “I guess he didn’t,” he replied. 

“Huh.” The kid looked him up and down, a look of skeptical disbelief on his face. “I heard you took out a whole raider group outside the city,” he said conversationally. Iwaizumi nodded, and the kid whistled in admiration. “Wow, mister. Tooru’s gonna be real happy to talk to you after that. You’ve got half the city abuzz!” 

“He inside?” Iwaizumi asked and jerked his thumb toward the little shack the newspaper was based out of. The boy nodded and stepped aside to let Iwaizumi approach the front door. He knocked raptly and opened the door a moment later to step inside. “Oikawa?” 

There was a sudden outburst of movement as Oikawa squawked and came flying out of another room. “You!” he cried out in joy as he pointed wildly at Iwaizumi. “You know, it’s rude to keep a cute guy waiting, Iwaizumi! I invited you here _ages_ ago, and you only just now show up?” 

“I had things to do,” Iwaizumi replied dryly. “A life. You should try it out, sometime.” 

Oikawa scoffed, then waved his hand as if to shoo away such trivial things. “So are you here for an interview!?” he asked excitedly. He slapped one closed hand into the open palm of the other. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to keep yourself away! I’m a very enigmatic personality and all.” Oikawa nodded to himself in agreement. “Mmhm, that must be it. Now!” He threw his arms out dramatically and motioned toward a chair near a desk overflowing with papers and writing utensils. “Please, have a seat in my _office_.” 

“What do you want to know?” Iwaizumi grumbled. He had no idea what Oikawa could even find so interesting about him. Oikawa had no idea about the details of the Vault, or that Iwaizumi came from two hundred years in the past. So what else was there about Iwaizumi Hajime that he could find so interesting? He took the seat with no other complaint and stared Oikawa down as he pulled up another chair to perch on. 

“Well,” Oikawa said with a sigh and a gesture, “I know you’re a Vault dweller. The whole get up and the suit, the Pip-Boy, et cetera. How was that for you? How did that treat you? Why did you leave?” Oikawa leaned forward and now he had a little notebook in his hands, his eyes keen and lit up with interest. 

“It was…” What was he supposed to say? “I wouldn’t know.” 

“Oh,” Oikawa said. “Did you steal the suit?” 

“No, Vault-Tec gave it to me themselves,” Iwaizumi replied. “I was a resident of a Vault, but…” 

“But?” 

There really was no way around this. Honesty was perhaps the best policy in this situation. “The Vault was made to test the effects of freezing people for years on end,” Iwaizumi explained. “I have no idea what living in a Vault would be like, because there was no _living_ being done in the one I was in.” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Sorry. That’s probably boring to write abou--” 

“You were _frozen_!?” Oikawa whispered. The excitement had not left his eyes. If anything, it had only doubled at this revelation. “How long were you frozen? When did they freeze you?” 

“When the bombs went off during the war,” Iwaizumi replied. 

There was a heavy silence. Oikawa appeared to have stopped breathing. His eyes were trained on Iwaizumi, and they were wide, his face pale. “When the bombs went off… during the war?” He seemed to want to confirm this. Iwaizumi nodded. “The war… that happened over two hundred years ago?” 

“Yes,” Iwaizumi said. 

“You’re telling me… you’re over two hundred years old?” Oikawa appeared to have hit the lottery. His eyes practically glittered. His lips spread into a huge smile. “You were alive before the nuclear fallout? You were alive back during the war!?” 

“Uh,” Iwaizumi mumbled. “Yeah.” 

“This is amazing. I’m having an interview with a great, great, great grandfather, holy shit,” Oikawa breathed. Iwaizumi was not sure how he felt about being called any sort of grandfather, but… “The Man Out of Time,” Oikawa declared dramatically. “Oh, and you’re searching for your lost _son_! This piece is going to be eaten directly out of the palm of my hand, Iwaizumi.” 

“Glad I could help?” Iwaizumi had no idea what was going on at this point. 

“Now, one last thing,” Oikawa said. He looked at Iwaizumi seriously, and his eyes lost their excited gleam. The entire look on his face shifted into a solemn one, and it almost was enough to give Iwaizumi whiplash. “As someone who has lost their son, what would you say to the Commonwealth who are also dealing with matters like this? Those who are too scared to do anything, to go against what could possibly be a bigger issue, taking their loved ones away from them.” 

Iwaizumi felt like he had been put on the spot. What would he say…? He had no idea what to say to himself, half of the time, when he got lost in thoughts of his son. “It…” Iwaizumi paused and frowned, his brows furrowed together in thought. “It never gets easier,” he stated firmly. “There will be days that you wish you could… I don’t know, give up. Days where you wish you could take the easy route, and forget, or… but you can’t. Out there, somewhere, is your loved one. You can’t give up on them. They need you.” 

Oikawa nodded as he jotted down notes, his hand flying rapidly across the page as his messy handwriting scrawled out little anecdotes for himself. “Right, right,” Oikawa said. “That’s very powerful, Iwaizumi.” He looked up and smiled, just a little, but it reached his eyes. It didn’t look like one of the fake smiles he flashed around the other day at the front of Diamond City. “Thank you for this interview. I truly do appreciate it. This will help me spread a message of hope for those who need it most right now!” 

“I… I’m happy to help,” Iwaizumi mumbled. He’d only come here because he’d had nothing to do and had remembered Oikawa’s invitation. He was glad he had. If it meant he had helped even one person, today, then it would help Iwaizumi feel more comfortable in his skin. 

Iwaizumi got to his feet. He assumed they were done now. Oikawa had his interview, and there was nothing more needed. “You know, Iwa,” Oikawa said lightly, “you’re a very interesting person.” 

“Don’t call me that,” Iwaizumi grumbled. Oikawa ignored him. 

“It might help me to tag along with you, sometime,” he said brightly. “I can’t always get all the stories I need, staying holed up in Diamond City.” His sharp eyes met Iwaizumi’s and he grinned. It was as dangerous as the rest of him. Iwaizumi felt caught in his gaze. “Maybe we should team up! What do you think, Iwa?” 

Iwaizumi paused. Atsuto was a fine companion, but it wouldn’t hurt to have another human to have around. Sometimes Daichi would go on missions with him, but that was rare. Daichi had his own problems and life back at Sanctuary and couldn’t get away as often as Iwaizumi would like. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt,” he replied after a long, drawn out moment of thought. “If you really have nothing better to do than follow me around.” 

“I don’t!” Oikawa said with no shame. His smile didn’t dim one wattage. “It’s settled, then! Iwa and I will be the best of friends in no time~” 

“No, we won’t,” Iwaizumi said. His face was bland as he stared back at Oikawa. He had a face Iwaizumi dreamed about punching. He wondered if that would start them out on the wrong foot. Probably. 

“Ah, don’t be intimidated, Iwa! I promise I’m amazing, but you can still be a friend with me. I am a humble man, you know, and I deign to associate with peasants--” 

“I’m regretting this immediately,” Iwaizumi snapped as he turned and headed for the door. Oikawa trailed along behind him, tittering about this and that, and Iwaizumi found it better to tune him out. 

“Where you goin’, Tooru?” the boy from before asked as they exited. 

“I’m on the hunt for more news, Takeru!” Oikawa told him. He crouched down and placed his hands on his shoulders, grinned and leaned forward to talk conspiratorially. “You’ll have to hold down the fort here while I’m gone. Iwaizumi and I are going to go find some bad guys, rat out some good leads, you know. The work of a truly inspiring journalist!” 

“Don’t die,” Takeru responded, nonplussed. “That’d be annoying. Almost as much as you are everyday, but like. More so.” 

Oikawa sputtered. “Takeru! Rude!” He jumped back to his feet. “Come, come, Iwa! I see how I’m treated around here.” Oikawa sniffed and stormed off. Iwaizumi shared a deadpan look with Takeru. 

“He’s your problem now,” Takeru told him. 

“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” Iwaizumi asked to the air as he followed along behind Oikawa. He had a feeling he already knew the answer.


End file.
